“They’ve only got themselves to blame for this problem. We said there should be a mix of smoking and non-smoking places before the ban came in. Then smokers would have somewhere to go where they would not bother anyone else.”
‘Big Brother’ watching pub smokers
17/09/2007
Smokers outside Welsh pubs are being targeted by CCTV cameras and issued with on-the-spot fines for dropping their fag butts on the floor.
Denbighshire County Council is so concerned that smokers are causing increased litter outside pubs that it has taken to watching them ‘Big Brother’ style.
They are even prepared to take court action, backed by CCTV footage, against anyone who refuses to stump up the ?75 on-the-spot fines.
Roly Schwarz, of the Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership, which includes the North Wales Police and the county council, told ICWAles: “CCTV is there to prevent and reduce crime.
“People know if they drop a cigarette butt we can identify them.
“We are quite happy to publicise that we will and can get evidence in lots of different ways.”
A spokesman for pro-tobacco group Forest told the website: “They are trying to extort this money from smokers because they know they can get away with it.
“I’ve never heard of CCTV being used for this before.
“They’ve only got themselves to blame for this problem. We said there should be a mix of smoking and non-smoking places before the ban came in. Then smokers would have somewhere to go where they would not bother anyone else.”
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